I Am Titanium
by ForTheLoveOfSeto
Summary: The Avengers acquire a new member. The problem? It wasn't necessarily her choice to join. How will the Avengers find a way to make her feel like a part of something? (Angst, Self-Reflection, Family)
1. Chapter 1 The New Arrival

**Disclaimer****: I do not own the Marvel Universe or anything therein. I do not own the Avengers. I am not claiming to own any part of the Marvel Universe or anything therein. I am not claiming to own the Avengers. **

**The following is a work of fiction spun from my own mind. I claim rights to any and all original characters that I create for/ use in the following story (if I actually even have such rights). I make no monetary profit from the following work. My only reward will probably be my own fangirl-y joy.**

**Without Any Further Ado,**

**Enjoy**

**. . .**

It had been a long couple of days- or had it been longer? She couldn't know- there was no way of tracking time in here.

Hearing the dull, rhythmic thud of boots, she sat up from the small cot she had been provided and turned to face her visitor. "To what do I owe this honor?" she asked the approaching man, sarcasm practically dripping from her words.

"You already know what it is that I want, Miss Hawkins," the foreboding man replied.

"Bite me, Fury," she snarled at him. "I already told you 'no'."

Director Fury simply returned the young woman's glare. "I am a patient man, Miss Hawkins. I can wait for you to see reason." And with that, he turned on heel and left the chamber.

Breathing heavily with anger, Hawkins pulled her knees up to her chin and stared angrily out of her cage.

. . .

"Tony you're acting like a child," came Steve Roger's voice into the elevator as the doors opened up to one of the top floors of Stark Tower.

"No, I'm not," stated the billionaire-genius-playboy-philanthropist from where he was curled up on a plush leather couch, hugging a pillow to his chest. "Fury should have consulted us first. We don't need another Avenger."

"I'm not exactly thrilled about this, either," agreed an unfamiliar feminine voice from behind them. Tony, Steve, Bruce, and Thor all turned to see who was speaking. Halfway between the elevator and the sitting area, four S.H.I.E.L.D agents, including Natasha and Clint, stood around a young woman wearing blue sweatpants and a white t-shirt with the S.H.I.E.L.D logo printed on it. Steve Roger recognized the outfit as the same one he had been wearing when he woke up after being excavated from the ice. It made him wonder where S.H.I.E.L.D had found this girl.

"And who, exactly, are you?" Tony Stark asked, now standing and walking around the couch to get a better look at the group.

Lightly shifting her brown hair off of her shoulders with a slight movement of her head because her hands were cuffed behind her, the woman in the center of the group stepped forward and introduced herself. "I'm Abigail Hawkins." As she stepped forward, one of the S.H.I.E.L.D agents grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back. With an expression that was more than just a little annoyed, she turned to look at the agent and said, "Hey, I thought we were all going to play nice?" Quickly, so fast that some in the room didn't see it happen, she delivered a jab to his gut with her elbow.

Before anything else happened, Natasha stepped in between her and the other agents. "Alright, that's enough!" she ordered. "Just uncuff her and you two can leave." The agent who she hadn't just assaulted stepped forward and worked to remove the handcuffs. Once finished, he pocketed them and the key and forcefully led his companion out of the room with him. He wasn't able to stop the man from looking back and telling the Avengers, "She's your problem now."

**. . .**

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	2. Chapter 2 Awkward (Part I)

**Disclaimer****: I do not own the Marvel Universe or anything therein. I do not own the Avengers. I am not claiming to own any part of the Marvel Universe or anything therein. I am not claiming to own the Avengers. **

**The following is a work of fiction spun from my own mind. I claim rights to any and all original characters that I create for/ use in the following story (if I actually even have such rights). I make no monetary profit from the following work. My only reward will probably be my own fangirl-y joy.**

. . .

There was an exceptionally awkward period of silence lasting several moments after the two S.H.I.E.L.D agents left. It was Tony who first spoke.

"Yo, BirdBrain," he addressed Clint. "What is this?"

A dark look descended on their new arrival's face. "I'm not a _what_. I'm a _who_," corrected the woman named Abigail Hawkins. She strode towards Tony and extended her hand. "And according to S.H.I.E.L.D, I'm your new teammate."

Tony hardly glimpsed at her and turned his attention back to Natasha and Clint. "I didn't authorize this," he stated, point-blank.

Abigail let her hand drop back to her side and remarked dryly, "From the lack of manners, I'm going to guess that this is the infamous Mr. Tony Stark."

Steve all but rushed over to smooth things over. "I apologize for him, Miss Hawkins. This new transition has taken us all by surprise," he explained. He offered his hand to shake. "I'm Steve Rogers."

Abigail returned the gesture, her face expressionless. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Rogers."

"Please call me Steve," he insisted with a boyish smile that made most women melt. He turned to the rest of the room. "As you already figured out, that's Tony. That's Dr. Banner sitting over there in the chair. And that's Thor." He gestured to each as he introduced them. He looked over her shoulder at the two assassins. "And I guess you've already met Clint and Natasha," he stated somewhat awkwardly.

Another awkward silence.

Abigail turned back to Natasha and began speaking to her in a different language. Natasha and Clint were the only ones in the room who were unsurprised by this behavior. Natasha nodded and responded back to her. Then she looked at Tony. "Is there somewhere Miss Hawkins can go to rest? She is quite tired from her travel," she told him, her tone completely professional.

"Uh, the room for her is still being prepared," Tony stated, his tone unsure. His eyes kept switching between the two women, as if he were trying to determine if he had just imagined their exchange. "I was thinking she could stay with you in your suite for the time being."

"Very well," Natasha replied and gestured for Abigail to follow her back to elevator. In less than a minute, the two women were gone.

. . .

Natasha led Abigail to her room in Stark Tower.

"You can take either the bed or the couch," she told the younger woman, who started walking over to the couch. Abigail promptly plopped down onto the couch and laid down.

Natasha walked over to the sitting area and sat down in one of the plush armchairs. A nearly palpable awkward moment passed between the two- they both knew that Natasha was required to stay with the other woman for the time being, S.H.I.E.L.D's orders. Natasha couldn't help but feel sympathy for Abigail. She laid with her back to the rest of the room. It was obvious that she wanted to be alone, and also that she wanted to be anywhere but here.

**. . .**

**AN: When I was finished with this chapter, I realized that I used the word "awkward" frequently... ;) Hence the name for the chapter.**

**Review, Pretty Please?**


	3. Chapter 3 Awkward (Part II)

**Disclaimer****: I do not own the Marvel Universe or anything therein. I do not own the Avengers. I am not claiming to own any part of the Marvel Universe or anything therein. I am not claiming to own the Avengers. **

**The following is a work of fiction spun from my own mind. I claim rights to any and all original characters that I create for/ use in the following story (if I actually even have such rights). I make no monetary profit from the following work. My only reward will probably be my own fangirl-y joy.**

**. . .**

Tony had just finished ordering Thai food through JARVIS and was returning to the main sitting area on the floor, where all of the other male Avengers were gathered.

"So, Barton," he addressed Clint, who was sitting precariously perched on the back of the large black leather couch; but, of course, he made it look effortless. "- what can you tell us about the new girl?"

"What do you want to know?" Clint asked, his position unwavering.

"Well, for one, why does Fury think we need her?" Tony asked, not bothering to hide the annoyance in his voice. "I, for one, think that the Avengers are pretty badass just the way we are. Practically unbeatable, really."

"That's classified information," Clint told him.

"There is always room for improvement, Tony," Steve spoke up. "I mean, we don't even know what she can do yet. She could end up being a real help to the team."

"Save it, Captain Spanx," Tony said. "You're only taking her side because you think she's cute."

Steve seemed at a loss for words for a moment, a light pink tingeing his cheeks. Then, he managed to get out, "I- I don't- that is not true, Tony!"

"Awww," Tony mocked, making his lips pout a little bit. "He's blushing."

Steve looked down, partially in an attempt to hide his face and also because he was embarrassed. Bruce stepped in. "Tony, why don't you ask Clint another question, since you're _sooo_ curious about her?"

Tony frowned and sent a glare Bruce's way, but turned back to Clint. "Where's she from?" he asked, not wanting to bother with banter at this point.

"That is also classified information," Clint answered. Then he cheekily told Tony, "Sorry, try again."

Tony's patience, what little of it that he had, was wearing thin. "Well, can you _at least_ tell us what she does?" he asked, his voice now having a caustic bite to it.

"Yes," Clint answered, a mischievous grin on his face. "In fact, I brought a video that I thought would come in handy for that very question." He took out the tablet Stark had given him recently. "Okay," he started. "So here's some footage captured by the S.H.I.E.L.D security cameras earlier today." The other male Avengers had gathered around him now, their curiosity peaked.

The video showed a shot of Natasha, Clint, and the two other S.H.I.E.L.D agents from earlier that day standing in the main S.H.I.E.L.D conference room, escorting their new member, Abigail Hawkins. They had a brief exchange with Fury and then began to lead Abigail out. When the group was a few steps from the door, the large super-computer lining one of the walls spontaneously… exploded… for lack of a better word.

Clint exited out of the video, and looked around at the group expectantly.

Dr. Banner was the first to speak. "Did she just…?" He looked at Clint, his face displaying a mixture of disbelief and awe.

"Mmh hhm," Clint murmured as he nodded his head. "You should have seen Fury's face when it happened."

"That. Was. Awesome!" Tony announced, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet like an excited small child.

"No, Tony," Steve sighed, trying to reprimand him. "That was extremely dangerous. Innocent people could have been hurt."

"But they _weren't_," the billionaire practically sang. He turned to Clint, his face suddenly serious. "No one was hurt, right?"

"No one was seriously injured. Just a few mild scratches and burns," Clint informed the group. "I think it was more for show than anything else."

Before anyone else could add to the conversation, a polite, British-accented voice spoke. "Sir, a delivery boy has arrived with the food you ordered. He and the food are in the lobby."

"Got it, JARVIS," Tony answered, and began walking towards the elevator. "I'll go grab the food." While waiting for the elevator doors to open, he turned back to the room and stated, "And we are so not done talking about this."

"It seems more dangerous than constructive, Tony," Bruce expressed concernedly as the man stepped into the elevator.

Tony turned back to answer, obviously still giddy from watching the footage, "Who cares? We now have a chick who can explode stuff with her mind!" The elevator doors closed, and that was the end of that.

There was silence for a second, and then Bruce rubbed the bridge of his nose, saying tiredly, "Sometimes I worry about Tony. I really do." He turned back to his book, shaking his head.

"Well, now that Tony's gone, can we get back to the serious questions?" Steve asked. "Like why Miss Hawkins was brought here handcuffed?" He shot Clint an almost accusing look.

"Sorry, Steve. I can't tell you that, it's-"

"Let me guess- classified." Steve couldn't keep a little annoyance from coming through.

"Afraid so, Cap," Clint replied.

"We clearly saw that she is dangerous, Steve," Bruce offered as an explanation.

Steve raised an eyebrow at him skeptically. "And how are handcuffs going to stop her from, as Tony said, 'exploding stuff with her mind'?"

Bruce became contemplative upon hearing that. That was when Thor spoke.

"She does not appear physically dangerous," he said. "She is rather small in size. I do not see how she could cause much harm."

"Say that again and I'll crush you with your own armor." A voice came from the other side of the room.

The men jumped at the sudden intrusion. Natasha and Abigail had entered the room without anyone noticing. Steve turned around, looking extremely guilty. "Oh, uh… We didn't hear you come in."

"Obviously," stated Abigail, pursing here lips. "Otherwise you would have stopped talking about me at the socially acceptable time." Her tone was cutting, bitter; but also… sad?

Immediately, Steve felt awful. He'd been bullied all his life before the super serum, and he knew what it was like to be the odd man out. And apparently Abigail did, as well. He wanted to say something to make things better, but he just didn't know what to say. He ended up just looking at his feet in shame.

Bruce spoke up to ease the tension. "Tony went down to grab dinner. We ordered in Thai food," he informed the women. "I hope that's okay," he added, ever courteous.

Abigail didn't even grant the good doctor a reply before she walked over to take a seat at Tony's personal bar.

. . .

Dinner was an extremely awkward affair, even more so than when the Avengers went to get shawarma after they defeated Loki and the Chitauri army. Abigail had made sure to sit as far away from everyone else a possible- that is, except for Natasha, who sat next to her, watching her every movement. Tony kept looking over at her like she was some complicated equation he was working to solve. Thor was, well, Thor just ate his food happily. Bruce and Clint just sat there uncomfortably, and Steve kept trying to get the others involved in conversation- and was failing miserably.

Finally, after a particularly long stretch of silence, Tony looked Abigail head-on and asked her as casually as possible, "So, Hawkins, just what is it that you do?"

Abigail hadn't been expecting anyone to talk to her directly and seemed to be caught a bit off-guard by Tony's question. She took a moment, processing what he had said. Finally, she responded to his question with another question. "Do you mean what I do for a living, or-?"

"No, no," Tony stopped her there. "I mean, for example, that I put on the Iron Man suit and fly around shooting weapons; Bruce here turns into a mean green fighting machine-" Bruce fiddled with his glasses uncomfortably. "- Thor's a god; Steve has enhanced physical capabilities; Barton and Romanoff are super-secret agents; etc, etc." He paused, his brown eyes practically boring into her. "So…What do you do?" He watched her expectantly.

Slowly, carefully, Abigail placed her drink down and answered, "I have the ability to manipulate metals and certain technologies to my will from a sizable distance."

"Can you give a demonstration?" Tony tried to sound nonchalant, but all the male Avengers knew he was hoping she would blow something up, like in the surveillance footage.

Abigail rolled her eyes and turned to look at the elevator. She raised a couple of fingers and made a lazy movement with them in the air. The two elevator door were ripped apart from each other and folded up on themselves like aluminum foil. Abigail turned back to the group, her lips pursed. "I trust that will suffice?" Then she paused, as if she just remembered something. "Oh, I should probably fix those," she said to no one in particular, and proceeded to turn back to look at the elevator doors. With a more precise movement of her hand this time, the elevator doors straightened themselves out and returned to their normal position. She turned back to her meal as if nothing had happened.

Tony was obviously disappointed that nothing had exploded, but somehow still managed a polite "Impressive." Then his face lit up. "I think you could really help me with the prototype suit in the lab-"

In a snap, Abigail's gaze went from her plate to Tony. "No," she stated.

Everyone else looked at her and Tony furrowed his brow. "Why not?" he asked. "You obviously have the ability-"

"I said no," Abigail reiterated, her eyes and tone becoming sterner. "It is absolutely out of the question."

"That's not a reason," Tony pointed out, folding his arms across his chest.

Abigail didn't even bother responding to him. She turned to Natasha. "I'm tired. I'd like to go to bed now."

Natasha nodded and put down her fork, her eyes narrowed at Tony. It was one of her signature "If you value your life, you'll shut up right now" looks.

The two women left without another word.

Tony turned to Thor. "Thor, are women in Asgard this weird?"

The light-haired god laughed. "In any world, I have never met a man that can understand the ways of women."

. . .

**AN****: Ah Thor, how you make me laugh.**

**Anyway, I wrote this chapter way ahead of time and then started to doubt myself before I posted it. It was driving me crazy! I would really appreciate feedback from you readers out there- constructive criticism is welcome.**

**Anywho, I hoped you enjoyed this chapter regardless of my inner struggle/torment that came right before posting it. **

**Remember, Reviews are welcome! (They make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!)**


	4. Chapter 4 Don't Underestimate Me

**Disclaimer****: I do not own the Marvel Universe or anything therein. I do not own the Avengers. I am not claiming to own any part of the Marvel Universe or anything therein. I am not claiming to own the Avengers. **

**The following is a work of fiction spun from my own mind. I claim rights to any and all original characters that I create for/ use in the following story (if I actually even have such rights). I make no monetary profit from the following work. My only reward will probably be my own fangirl-y joy.**

**. . .**

**Special Thanks to all my fabulous followers and reviewers out there! You guys really make my day! :D**

**. . .**

"Agent Romanoff, could I possibly go for a run outside tomorrow?" Abigail asked the agent politely once she had prepared herself for bed. She stood in the doorway of the large bathroom of the suite they currently shared. Natasha was sitting in a chair, looking over some S.H.I.E.L.D information on a tablet.

"You may," Natasha told her looking up from her tablet. "But either I or another member of the team has to go with you." She paused to think for a moment. "Captain Rogers usually runs a circuit in the mornings. I could ask him to go with you."

Abigail instantly looked unsure. She leaned against the doorpost and thought about it. Steve Rogers seemed like a nice guy… but he knew nothing about her. Natasha and Clint had been briefed about her, and they knew where to tread lightly around her. Natasha had been her nearly constant companion for days, and if there was anything that scared Abigail it was insecurity. If she felt safe, she didn't want to move out of that comfort zone. Unconsciously, her fingers grasped tightly as the doorframe she was leaning against.

Natasha, ever observant, saw her discomfort about the idea. She decided to try a different tactic. "You really should get to know the other members of the team," she told Abigail. "I won't always be around. Steve's a good guy. He's probably the most considerate of other people's feelings on this team."

Abigail continued to look uncertain, but she had visibly relaxed slightly after hearing what Natasha had to say. She walked over to the couch silently, where she had set up a makeshift bed, and sat down. After several moments, she spoke. "Okay."

Natasha nodded, a barely detectable hint of a smile on her lips. "I'll call Rogers and set it up."

. . .

"Good Morning, Miss Hawkins," Steve Rogers greeted amiably as Natasha dropped her off in front of his apartment.

"Good Morning, Mr. Rogers," Abigail responded politely. She looked around them. "So… how far do you usually run?"

"There's a park on the other end of this part of town. I usually run there and back," he told her. "But if you want to take a shorter route, we can do that instead."

Abigail gave a small laugh and Steve looked at her confusedly. He was pretty confident that he hadn't said anything particularly funny. Maybe it was another one of those modern references that eluded him. "What's so funny?" he asked, genuinely curious.

Abigail ceased her laughing and smiled at him. "Captain, you may be the Super-Soldier, but I think you'll find I can keep up with the best of them."

"I didn't mean to offend you," Steve quickly backpedalled, thinking he had done something wrong. "I just meant-"

"Captain Rogers, it's fine," Abigail assured him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Then, as an afterthought, she explained, "Most people don't think I'm as strong as I really am."

Steve nodded understandingly. "I will do my best not to underestimate you in the future, ma'am," he promised her with a gentle smile.

"Good," Abigail stated firmly, content in the fact that they had reached an understanding. "Let's get going."

. . .

Abigail hadn't been kidding when she said she could hold her own. She had kept up with Steve's pace for the most part. Steve suggested that they take a break when they reached the park.

"So…" Abigail said after they'd been walking around the park for a few minutes. "Are you really from the nineteen-forties?" She looked at him with an eyebrow raised, obviously skeptical.

"Yes, ma'am," Steve answered her honestly. "You don't believe me, do you?" he asked, smiling softly.

"Well," Abigail said, lowering her gaze to the ground. "Everything logical in my mind is telling me that it's not possible…" She bit her lower lip, obviously conflicted. "But after all the stuff I've seen in my life so far, it really doesn't seem so out-there."

Steve was going to ask what she meant by that, but she seemed to predict what he was going to do and began to speak again, rapidly. "I think it'll take a while to convince me of the whole 'Thor's the God of Thunder' thing, though." She laughed, then added, "We should probably start heading back now."

Steve may not have been an expert on women, but he knew enough not to question her.

. . .

The Captain and his new teammate sat on the brick steps leading up to the front door of his apartment. Steve had noticed that Abigail had chosen to sit as far away from him as the length of the step would allow. He tried to not be offended by this. They sat in relative silence for several minutes, listening the cars going by, the neighborhood dogs barking, and the kids calling to each other to play.

_'This is nice,'_ Abigail thought. She liked not having to talk all the time; she relished the quiet.

Steve, on the other hand, was very uncomfortable with the situation. He decided that it was impolite to remain silent and spoke up. "I lived in Brooklyn my whole life, you know."

Abigail seemed to have been broken out of sort of reverie and it took her a moment to process what he had said. "Must be strange- the transition, I mean," she responded. "You grew up in the old New York, and then you're just thrust into this… well… new New York, I guess." She chuckled a bit at her word choice.

"Yeah, well…" Steve rubbed the back of his neck, rather bashful now that the attention was on him. "It certainly is a lot of change to get used to."

Abigail's eyes and gentle smile showed the sympathy she felt for the man. "I'd imagine so. I have trouble keeping up with the pace sometimes, and I was born into it," she told him.

"So, what about you?" Steve asked, maintaining friendly conversation. "Where did you grow up?"

"My family lived in Boston," she replied. She offered nothing more on the subject.

Steve nodded silently. He could tell from Abigail's reaction that he should tread lightly. "Another great city. So… how did you end up in New York?"

Abigail made a theatrical movement with one of her hands a replied dryly, "Courtesy of S.H.I.E.L.D."

Steve's brow furrowed. "Do you have any family or friends here?" he asked concernedly.

Abigail expression turned thoughtful. After some stretch of silence she said, "Well, I do have one friend who lives here, but I haven't yet called to let her know I'm here…"

Before Steve could respond, a black SUV pulled up in front of them with Natasha in the driver's seat. Just as quickly, Abigail stood up, said a quick good-bye to Steve, and got in the car. Then they were gone, as if they had never been there at all.

**. . .**

**Important**** AN: Hey, guys! I thought it only fair to inform you all that I will be unable to post new chapters for the next couple of weeks. :C This saddens me... But perhaps some time off will be good for me. Who knows what plots an idle mind will formulate? **

**I'll see you guys back in two weeks. Reviews will always be welcome. **


	5. Chapter 5 A Little Bit of Laughter

**Disclaimer****: I do not own the Marvel Universe or anything therein. I do not own the Avengers. I am not claiming to own any part of the Marvel Universe or anything therein. I am not claiming to own the Avengers. **

**The following is a work of fiction spun from my own mind. I claim rights to any and all original characters that I create for/ use in the following story (if I actually even have such rights). I make no monetary profit from the following work. My only reward will probably be my own fangirl-y joy.**

**. . .**

"Cap's got a girlfriend! Cap's got a girlfriend! Cap's got-"

"Tony, enough," Bruce interrupted the giddy billionaire. "You're giving me a headache." He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, emphasizing the point.

Tony stopped spinning on his barstool and gave Bruce a mock-pout. "Why do you have to ruin my fun, Brucey?"

Thor glanced up from where he was sitting on the black leather couch across the room, the box of Pop-Tarts he held in his hand momentarily forgotten. "Our friend the Captain is courting someone?" he asked, his expression clearly curious.

Bruce sighed and turned to the blonde God. "No, Thor," he told him, keeping his tone calm. "Tony is just being immature and is making things up," he explained.

Thor frowned and his brow knit together. "You Midgardians are so queer," was all he said before turning back to his beloved breakfast pastries.

The elevator doors on that floor opened with a light _'Ping'_, and Natasha and Abigail entered the room. Natasha was dressed in her signature cat suit, accessorized with her many weapons. Abigail was wearing a full-length black skirt and muted green tank-top. Her hair was styled onto her right shoulder and appeared partially damp; it was assumed she had just taken a shower. She appeared more relaxed than she had the day before, more natural. Tony paused when he saw her. For some reason, she looked almost… familiar.

"Hi," was all Abigail said to the room before walking over and plopping down in a seat next to Bruce. Natasha took the seat next to her.

It really bothered Tony that he seemed to recognize Abigail from somewhere… he just didn't remember where… Damn, he knew this was going to bother him until he figured out where he knew her from…

"Uh… my clothes were brought in by S.H.I.E.L.D," Abigail spoke up, eying Tony warily. She felt like he was watching her, observing her. It made her very uncomfortable.

Tony suddenly realized that he'd been staring, and quickly moved to cover up his embarrassing actions. "Yeah, I was going to say that those don't look like anything from the typical Tony Stark wardrobe," he tried to joke.

"Uh… yeah…" Abigail responded before turning to Natasha. "That reminds me: is there any chance I'll be getting my cell phone back any time soon?"

"S.H.I.E.L.D confiscated your cell phone?" Bruce asked. "Why?"

Before Abigail could reply, Natasha cut in. "Standard procedure," she assured him. "For security purposes."

"What the hell do they think I have on there?" Abigail asked, crossing her arms over her chest, tone impatient. "What could I possibly have on my cell phone that could be a danger to national security?"

"Why are you so eager to get it back?" Tony asked tauntingly. "What do you have on there that you don't want them to see? Gay porn? Some girl-on-girl action? Bondage?"

Abigail shot the man a 'You've got to be fucking kidding me' look and then turned away. "Nonsense," she said nonchalantly, motioning with her hand as if to sweep the notion away. "I keep all of that on my laptop."

Bruce spit out the tea he had been drinking and fell into a coughing fit, Tony gave her a shocked look, and Thor just watched, utterly confused by the whole situation. Natasha seemed to be the only one who remained calm, though she did direct a slightly bemused glance at her charge.

Abigail stared at them all incredulously. "O my God, I was kidding!" She exclaimed, clearly horrified that they had believed her.

Bruce started on some breathing techniques that he'd learned from the Tibetan monks, trying to steady his heartbeat and bring it back to its normal BPM. "Oh my gosh," Abigail said, noticing how she'd upset the doctor. "Doctor Banner, I am so sorry-" she began to apologize.

Tony, meanwhile, was having himself a good laugh behind the bar. Once he had finished, he turned to Abigail and told her, "You know what, Hawkins? I think we're going to get along just fine." Natasha was trying to stifle a chuckle.

Thor watched them all, a concerned look on his face. "Friend Stark," he addressed Tony. "What is this 'gay porn' of which you speak?"

. . .

**AN:**** IIIII"MMMMM BAAAAACK! Whew, those two weeks flew by quickly!**

**I guess that I was feeling light-hearted when I wrote this chapter because it is a bit silly, but hopefully you guys liked it anyway.**

**On another, sadder note: I didn't receive any new reviews for the last chapter. I waited for two weeks, day after day, night after night- but alas! The reviews never came… (Several people did favorite and follow, though, and for that I thank you deeply.)**

**Hopefully, you lovely readers will grace me with a review or two soon…**

**Please and Thank-you,**

**ForTheLoveOfSeto**


	6. Chapter 6 All is Calm

**Disclaimer****: I do not own the Marvel Universe or anything therein. I do not own the Avengers. I am not claiming to own any part of the Marvel Universe or anything therein. I am not claiming to own the Avengers. **

**The following is a work of fiction spun from my own mind. I claim rights to any and all original characters that I create for/ use in the following story (if I actually even have such rights). I make no monetary profit from the following work. My only reward will probably be my own fangirl-y joy.**

**. . .**

Later that day, Tony sat back in a rolling chair in one of his labs, his right hand forming a fist that was pressed against his mouth in deep thought. He wasn't sure how long he'd been in that position, but apparently it had been long enough for Dr. Banner to notice, and when Dr. Banner was in the middle of doing scientific research it was difficult to get him to notice anything else.

"What's wrong, Tony?" he asked as he adjusted the focus on a microscope that he was using to observe the micro-organisms in a sample of skin tissue. His skin tissue, to be exact.

It was a moment before Tony answered him. "I've seen her before," was the slightly muffled, cryptic response that Bruce received.

"Who?" Dr. Banner asked, only a small part of his attention really focused on the conversation.

Tony leaned forward onto the tabletop in front of him. "Abigail Hawkins," he answered. "I've seen her somewhere before- I'm sure of it! I just can't quite put my finger it…"

"Maybe a familiar face from your Playboy days?" Dr. Banner asked teasingly as he lowered his eye back to the microscope.

"Nah," Tony replied, after having seriously considered it for a moment. "I can tell she's not the type."

"I don't know, then," Bruce told the billionaire engineer, making a dismissive gesture with his hands while not removing his eyes from his current project. "Maybe you met her at a charity benefit or something?"

Stark considered this. It was possible. He'd been to more charity dinners than he'd prefer to remember, and had been acquainted with countless faces in the process. And at a minimum of half of those events he'd been inebriated. So it was entirely possible that he could have met someone, such as Abigail Hawkins, at one of these events and lost almost complete memory of the encounter.

The billionaire stood up, looking thoughtful. "Bruce, you may be onto something…" He walked around the table, thinking, _'Hawkins… Hawkins. Why is that name so damn familiar?'_

And then, it hit him. He'd done reading on a one Gerald Hawkins a couple of years back…

"JARVIS," he abruptly called up the AI. "I need you to search for any and all information on the Hawkins family. Father's name: Gerald."

"Right away, Sir," the AI responded, courteous as always.

. . .

Abigail stared down at the Stark phone she held in her right hand. It had been lying on one of the many pillows on the luxurious bed of her new suite. When she had asked out loud where it had come from, really to no one in particular, JARVIS had answered, "Master Stark informed me that you were in need of a form of cellular communication, and I was to make sure you were provided with one. That is a fully-functional Stark phone."

"Oh," Abigail said, a bit dumbstruck by the development. "Uh… Send Mr. Stark my thanks," she told the AI.

"Of course," the AI responded. "Is there anything else that you will be needing, Ms. Hawkins?"

"No, thank-you, JARVIS," Abigail said. She plopped down on the edge of her bed and contemplated the device that she still held in her hand. She really had not expected Mr. Stark to be very accommodating, and was now finding herself pleasantly surprised.

_'I should probably go and tell Agent Romanoff that S.H.I.E.L.D doesn't have to worry about giving me my cell phone back,'_ she thought. Abigail would feel guilty letting others do something completely unnecessary for her benefit when she didn't need them to. That resolved in her mind, Abigail stood up, placed the Stark phone in her right pocket and left to go find Natasha.

She knew that the agent wouldn't be far, though, considering she was supposed to be 'monitored' at all times.

. . .

**AN: Apologies abound for this short chapter. I originally wrote it as longer, but I decided to split it into two parts for a better effect in the story. Next chapter will be much more interesting, I promise you.**

**Many Thanks to all of those who Favorited, Followed, and/or Reviewed! (You know who you are)**

**Remember, Reviews and Constructive Criticism are always welcome.**


	7. Chapter 7 Twenty-Eight Years Later

**Disclaimer****: I do not own the Marvel Universe or anything therein. I do not own the Avengers. I am not claiming to own any part of the Marvel Universe or anything therein. I am not claiming to own the Avengers. **

**The following is a work of fiction spun from my own mind. I claim rights to any and all original characters that I create for/ use in the following story (if I actually even have such rights). I make no monetary profit from the following work. My only reward will probably be my own fangirl-y joy.**

**. . .**

A distinguished-looked middle-aged man and a little girl smiled at Bruce and Tony from a holographic screen that had been produced by JARVIS. The article next to the picture was titled **FATHER AND DAUGHTER WILL CHANGE THE WORLD**. If Bruce looked closely, he could see that the girl in the picture was, indeed, Abigail Hawkins. The high cheek bones and the brown eyes, though less mature, were the same.

"This-" Tony stepped forward and pointed to the man in the picture. "- is Dr. Gerald Hawkins. He had a PhD in Bioengineering and was father to Abigail Hawkins." He pointed to the little girl.

"Was…?" Bruce asked cautiously.

"Died in a lab accident," Tony answered. "Nine years ago." He shifted from one foot to the other. "I began researching his work when I… returned from Afghanistan." The eyes of the billionaire seemed a bit darker as he spoke. "I was kind of obsessed with his research for a while. I needed a back-up plan in case the arc reactor ever failed me."

Bruce nodded, though Tony wasn't looking at him. He knew that, even if Tony would never admit it, he had been afraid. His whole life depended on an object the size of a small fist that had been inserted into his chest, and if that failed…

"I later realized that Dr. Hawkins's research was not applicable to my… situation," Tony continued speaking. "It was damn interesting, though. His daughter-" He once again pointed to the younger Abigail Hawkins in the picture. "- was his most successful project."

"Project?" Dr. Banner's expression was one of alarm, and he looked to Tony to make sure he had heard him correctly.

Tony seemed mildly amused by his colleague's reaction. "Don't worry, Banner. She's not an android or anything like that," he tried to calm the physicist.

"What do you mean, 'his most successful project'?" Bruce felt the overwhelming urge to cringe at the idea of a human being referred to as a scientist's 'project'. The dehumanization reminded him painfully of his own condition.

Tony's hands moved deftly over the holographic screen, sifting through various files and documents until he found the one he sought. A black and white photo of a particularly fragile-looking infant stood beside a newspaper article titled **NEW FATHER MAKES MIRACLE FOR DAUGHTER**.

"Abigail Hawkins was born in a critical state and required intensive medical attention almost from the moment she entered this world," Bruce read. "Severe deficiencies in minerals and an under-developed spinal structure forced doctors to come to the conclusion that the newborn wouldn't make it through the week…"He skimmed the rest of the article silently.

_… father refused to give up…_

_… created artificial support structure and nutrient distributor…_

_…experimental surgery saved the baby girl…_

"He saved her…" Bruce said, in awe.

"She would have died within a matter of days," Tony stated. "And yet, here she is, twenty-eight years later."

"That's incredible." Bruce turned back to look at Tony. "But I still don't understand how she has the abilities that she does."

"Yeah, that's the part I'm still fuzzy on," Tony admitted, scratching his head and looking down at the floor. Then, more cheerfully, "But there isn't anything that me and the J-Man can't find if we look, right JARVIS?" He turned his gaze towards the ceiling.

"Correct, Sir," the AI responded promptly. There was a brief moments of silence before JARVIS added, "And Master Stark, I think it prudent to inform you that Agent Romanoff and Miss Hawkins are arguing vehemently in the hallway of the 88th floor."

"Eh, I'm sure they'll work it out." Tony waved the notice off and turned back to the holographic screen.

"Miss Hawkins has just punched Agent Romanoff," Jarvis told him. "Agent Barton and Thor have now become actively involved in the argument and are restraining the two women." That caught Tony's attention, while Bruce was stuck wondering why anyone in their right mind would ever punch Natasha Romanoff.

"Ooh, catfight," Tony practically sang before walking over to the built-in lab elevator. Bruce chose to remain where he stood.

"You not coming, Big Guy?" Tony asked, looking over to his brother in science.

"I think I'll sit this one out," Dr. Banner told him. He lightly tapped the left of his chest. "High-stress situation and all."

"Alright. If you're sure," Tony said as he stepped into the elevator and the doors swiftly closed after him.

**. . .**

**AN:**** Hello! I am so happy to publish this chapter! I'm trying to develop a regular interval between updates in the story, so I had to abstain from posting this little beauty until now.**

**I suppose it was a good exercise in self-control (not that anybody ever likes those...) and I am proud of myself for my success in this endeavor. This calls for celebratory ice cream! Yay!**

**Alright, that enough self-congratulations for now. ****I do ask only one thing of you**** my dear, lovely readers: Please send in reviews for this chapter (or on the overall story so far). I worked really hard on this chapter, so I would really appreciate some feedback.**

**Air Hugs For All,**

**ForTheLoveOfSeto**


	8. Chapter 8 What is Going On Here!

**Disclaimer****: I do not own the Marvel Universe or anything therein. I do not own the Avengers. I am not claiming to own any part of the Marvel Universe or anything therein. I am not claiming to own the Avengers. **

**The following is a work of fiction spun from my own mind. I claim rights to any and all original characters that I create for/ use in the following story (if I actually even have such rights). I make no monetary profit from the following work. My only reward will probably be my own fangirl-y joy.**

. . .

Tony honestly did not know what to expect when the elevator doors opened out into the 88th floor hallway. Nothing could have prepared him for the strange sight that was Agent Natasha Romanoff and Abigail Hawkins yelling at each other in… what was that- Russian? Clint was keeping a firm grip on Natasha and Thor had taken hold of a very pissed-off Abigail Hawkins- they were obviously trying to keep the two women from lunging at each other.

Tony raised an eyebrow in disbelief. _'And people say that I'm the childish one!'_

"Guys," he tried to get the quarrelers' attentions. No acknowledgements were made.

He waved his arms above his head. "Hey, Super-Crazies, get a grip!" Still nothing.

"Hello, this is the man who owns this Tower speaking, and if you do not stop fighting _right now_ I will personally kick each and every one of your sorry asses out!" When that didn't work, Tony gave an exasperated sigh and roughly rubbed a hand over his face. "JARVIS," he called out. "Air-horn. Now."

"Yes, Sir," the AI responded. Tony covered his ears and, not a second later, the obnoxious sound broke through the hall.

The two women, the archer, and the God of Thunder all stopped whatever they were doing and covered their ears. This led to Hawkins being sprawled out on the floor, as Thor had previously been holding her in a grip that kept her feet off the ground.

"ALRIGHT. THAT'S ENOUGH!" Tony shouted, hands still pressed to his ears. "THANK-YOU, JARVIS!"

The painful noise immediately ended, with a brief "It was my pleasure, Master Stark."

Thor, Clint, Natasha, and Abigail were all slowly readjusting to the now silent area. Clint was the first to speak.

"Okay, let me be the first to say: OW!" He glared, frustrated at Tony. "What the hell, Stark?!"

Thor noticed that the newest Avenger lay in a heap at his feet. He bent down to assist her in getting back on her feet. "My apologies," he offered as Abigail took his hand. Both feet on the floor once more, she began trying to compose herself. Her clothes were more than a little rumpled after being manhandled by a god, and both she and Natasha appeared to be trying to fix their hair. All in all, the scene was ridiculous.

"Would someone please tell me what _the fuck_ is going on?!" Tony asked the group at large.

Predictably, Thor was the first to speak up. "I was residing in my quarters on the floor above this one when I heard a large quarrel taking place between the Widow of Black and Lady Hawkins. I thought that perhaps there was danger, so I made haste to join them here."

"Why were you two-" he pointed accusingly at Natasha and Abigail, "- arguing in the first place?"

Almost in unison, the two women answered, "None of your business, Stark."

Miffed, but not in the mood to argue with a master assassin and someone who could easily bring the whole building down, Tony turned to Clint. "And how are _you_ involved in this?"

"Hey!" Clint put his hands up in front of him in defense. "I just heard them yelling at each other from the vents- I mean, the way sounds carry through that system-"

"WHY WERE YOU IN THE VENTS?!"

"- and I saw Hawkins punch Natasha, so I dropped down before Nat could kill her!" Clint hurried through the rest of his explanation.

"I wasn't going to harm her," Natasha stated, as if that was the most ridiculous accusation in the world. "I was only going to render her unconscious."

Hawkins shot the agent a disbelieving and exasperated look, as if to say 'As if that's much better!' She rubbed her eyes, frustrated. "You know what; I'm just going to go take a nap now," she announced. She turned and used a keycard to enter through one of the doors lining the hallway and shut the door quietly behind her, as if two minutes ago everything hadn't been going to hell.

Several thickly silent moments passed before Thor spoke up. "Oh- Should I have stopped her?"

Okay, that was it. Tony. Was. Done.

"You know what- you know what? I don't even care anymore," he informed his fellow Avengers. "Just-" He turned and began to walk back towards the elevator. "- the next time a fight between you two breaks out, be sure to be wearing bikinis or something." He could imagine the look on Natasha's face, but stepped into the elevator before he could face any real repercussions.

Once the doors had closed behind him and he was well on his way back up to the labs, Tony rested his forehead against one of the four cool, metal walls. "House the Avengers, they said. It will be fun, they said."

** . . .**

**AN****: Poor Tony!**

**I hope that this chapter satisfied. I was trying to figure out how Tony Stark would handle a fight between two of the Avengers (who weren't himself and Steve Rogers, of course) while they were housed in Stark Tower, and I think I did a pretty decent job.**

**Unfortunately, I did not receive ****ANY**** reviews for the last chapter… This made me sad. Like I wrote, I worked very hard on that chapter.**

**So maybe some reviews this chapter (wink, wink nudge,nudge)?**

**As Always, I thank all of your for reading and supporting me in some way or another (Favorites, Follows, Reviews).**

**A Happy Labor Day Weekend to All,**

**ForTheLoveOfSeto**


	9. Chapter 9 And Now We Wait

**Disclaimer****: I do not own the Marvel Universe or anything therein. I do not own the Avengers. I am not claiming to own any part of the Marvel Universe or anything therein. I am not claiming to own the Avengers. **

**The following is a work of fiction spun from my own mind. I claim rights to any and all original characters that I create for/ use in the following story (if I actually even have such rights). I make no monetary profit from the following work. My only reward will probably be my own fangirl-y joy.**

**. . .**

"JARVIS, where is Tony?" Dr. Bruce Banner asked the Tower's AI when he'd realized that over an hour had passed and the genius engineer still hadn't returned to the lab.

"Mr. Stark is currently residing in the lounge on the hundredth floor."

_'Where the bar is,'_ Bruce thought and sighed. "That's what I was afraid of…" he muttered as he made his way over to the elevator. "Thank-you, JARVIS!" he called as the elevator doors closed behind him.

Amazingly, when Dr. Banner reached the hundredth floor lounge he did not find a completely drunk Tony Stark. Instead he was greeted with the sight of what appeared to be a rather-still-on-the-sober-side Stark speaking, frustrated, into his cell phone…though there was a glass of what appeared to be cognac in his right hand.

"-I already told you, I don't know what they were fighting about." A pause. "Why didn't I find out? Hm… Probably because I value my life, as do millions of other people on this earth." Another pause. "Hey, you wanted to be team leader-"Alright, so he was talking to Steve Rogers. "-and as far as I'm concerned, I'm pretty sure this falls into your area of responsibility. You know, team harmony and all that crap?" Another pause from Tony, longer this time. "Alright, see you tomorrow, Cap."

In one fluid motion Tony put his Stark phone in his jeans pocket and took a gulp of alcohol from his glass. He turned, presumably to go back down to the lab, and saw Bruce standing there. "Oh, hey Bruce. What's up?" he greeted the physicist.

"You hadn't returned to the lab-" Dr. Banner inwardly cringed- he didn't want to sound clingy. "-and I was worried that Agent Romanoff might be torturing you or something."

Tony regarded the man seriously. "Oh, hell no. I got out of there as soon as the fighting stopped. I was _so_ not getting involved in all that craziness."

"So instead you are going to let Captain Rogers take care of it?" Bruce mused, leaning against the doorframe.

"That's the plan," Tony responded, throwing back the rest of the cognac in his glass. "He just asked me to make sure everyone's free tomorrow."

"Do you really think that this is any of our business?" Bruce asked seriously. "Shouldn't we just let Agent Romanoff and Miss Hawkins work it out for themselves?"

"Bruce," Tony began, walking over to the bar to refill his glass. "If we let them 'work it out for themselves', we'll probably all be dead within the month. I mean, seriously, Hawkins looked like she was out for blood." He paused and glanced back to the physicist. "Do you want something to drink?"

Bruce sighed. "You know I don't drink, Tony," he admonished.

He engineer shrugged and turned back to his own glass. "Suit yourself," he said.

. . .

It was 11:35 A.M. and Abigail hadn't left her suite. She'd been awake before six and had already gone through the motions of a morning routine. She'd showered, eaten, cleaned the dishes, and made her bed. She'd already come the awful realization that she had nothing she could do to entertain herself for the duration of the day- well, besides watching TV., but she wasn't in the mood.

And so she had decided to lie back down and stare at the ceiling.

"Miss Hawkins," JARVIS sounded from what had seconds before been silence. "Mr. Stark has asked me to inform you that there will be a team meeting this afternoon at three o' clock Eastern Standard Time."

Abigail let out a quiet sigh and pursed her lips. She was actually relieved upon hearing that she'd actually have something to do that day, but was not looking forward to dealing with other people.

"The meeting will take place in the hundredth floor conference room. I can give you instructions on how to get there if you like." Damn, that machine was just too damn polite.

"Thank-You, JARVIS," Abigail spoke towards the ceiling, not sounding thankful at all. "I'll let you know if I need any help."

"Very good, Miss Hawkins. Good day."

. . .


	10. Chapter 10 All The Damns I Give

**Disclaimer****: I do not own the Marvel Universe or anything therein. I do not own the Avengers. I am not claiming to own any part of the Marvel Universe or anything therein. I am not claiming to own the Avengers. **

**The following is a work of fiction spun from my own mind. I claim rights to any and all original characters that I create for/ use in the following story (if I actually even have such rights). I make no monetary profit from the following work. My only reward will probably be my own fangirl-y joy.**

**. . .**

As Abigail made her way up to the hundredth floor conference room, she gradually began to feel like she was about to go up against the firing squad. Fighting with one of Earth's Mightiest Heroes may not have been such a great move after all. There were-what?- six of them, and only one of her.

Damn.

It was when she was only a couple of feet from the doors leading into the conference room that she had a brilliant idea. She could just leave, run away. She was good at being inconspicuous.

Then again, S.H.I.E.L.D had found her before… Who's to say they couldn't do it again?

Oh, who was she kidding? She knew they could and they would.

Damn. Damn. Damn.

And yet, even though she knew it was futile, Abigail spent a few more precious moments in the hallway mulling the plans for escape around in her head. She would have stayed there longer, if the conference doors hadn't opened just then.

She nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden movement. Thankfully, it was only Captain Rogers. She'd feared it would have been Agent Romanoff.

"Oh!" Steve said in surprise when he saw that Abigail was standing there. "Miss Hawkins, I didn't know you were out here. I was just coming to get you-"

"Well, here I am," Abigail said with pathetic false cheer.

"Everyone else is here," Steve informed her. "Now we can start."

As Abigail found herself being led into the conference room, she couldn't help thinking that she should have run when she had the chance.

. . .

"It has been brought to my attention that there is conflict within the team," Steve addressed the group with all the authority of Captain America.

The different Avengers were in varied states as he spoke. Dr. Banner was listening politely, but couldn't help fidgeting nervously every once in a while. Tony was barely sparing the team leader an ounce of his attention and was instead doing calculations with his fingers on the table. Thor was listening to their team leader respectfully. Natasha, who now had a dull purple bruise on the left side of her jaw, appeared very un-amused by the proceedings. Clint sat next to her, watching her every move- which Abigail was abundantly grateful for. Abigail had taken the seat farthest from the red-haired assassin and was constantly eying the doorway, as if she would have cause to flee at any moment.

"I think that we should just address this as openly and honestly as possible," Steve continued. "Now, Miss Hawkins, Agent Romanoff-" He looked to each of them in turn. "Would you please tell us why you two were fighting yesterday?"

"With all due respect Captain Rogers," Natasha addressed Steve. "I really don't think that this is a matter that needs to be discussed with the entire team."

Before the good Captain had a chance to respond, Abigail voiced her opinion. "Really? Nevermind, of course you would say that," she commented scathingly. "You are a spy after all. And that is what spies do, right? Lie?"

"Hawkins…" Natasha said warningly. "Shut your mouth."

"Or what?" Abigail asked challengingly. "You'll have S.H.I. come and lock me up? Been there; done that; wasn't particularly fond of the conditions." She had the whole room's attention now.

"Locked up?" Bruce's attention on the conversation grew sharper.

"You've been sworn to silence, Hawkins." Clint was now standing up and seemed to be reminding the brunette of something that he believed would benefit everyone if she remembered.

"Under duress," the woman snapped back. "Which invalidates anything I agreed to during that time period."

"Okay, what the hell is going on here?" The drama of the situation had apparently earned Tony Stark's attention.

"I am also confused," announced Thor, brow furrowed in intrigue.

"Not. One. More. Word." Natasha's jaw was set and she was poised to attack.

"No," Abigail stated defiantly. "It's my turn to talk. And I'll actually tell the truth."

. . .

**Author's Note****: Oooh! Cliffhanger!**

**I kind of deviated from scheduled posting with this chapter. I was kind of dreading writing it, to be honest. But I pushed myself through it, and we can soon experience the more interesting parts of the story. Yay!**

**A ****BIIIG**** Thank-you to those who reviewed recently (you know who you are). Your words mean a lot to me and make me smile. 3**

**Anyhow, ****Remember****: Reviews and constructive criticisms are welcome. :)**

**Sincerely,**

**ForTheLoveOf Seto**


	11. Chapter 11 Steve to the Rescue

**Disclaimer****: I do not own the Marvel Universe or anything therein. I do not own the Avengers. I am not claiming to own any part of the Marvel Universe or anything therein. I am not claiming to own the Avengers. **

**The following is a work of fiction spun from my own mind. I claim rights to any and all original characters that I create for/ use in the following story (if I actually even have such rights). I make no monetary profit from the following work. My only reward will probably be my own fangirl-y joy.**

**. . .**

_"Not. One. More. Word." Natasha's jaw was set and she was poised to attack._

_"No," Abigail stated defiantly. "It's my turn to talk. And I'll actually tell the truth."_

. . .

Abigail turned to look directly into Steve's soft blue eyes. "S.H.I.E.L.D's been keeping important information from you. And they-" She glared fiercely at agents Romanoff and Barton. "- have been lying to you."

That was it. Natasha lunged.

Out of instinct, Abigail raised her arms and flinched, awaiting impact. When, after several moments, she felt no searing pain, she opened her eyes and slowly lowered her arms. To Abigail's and everyone else's surprise, Steve was holding the fiery agent in what appeared to be an unbreakable grip.

"Let me go, Rogers," Natasha snapped. "I'm only doing my job."

"You're job includes attacking teammates?" Steve asked angrily.

"Woah, Cap," Clint tried to calm the man, raising his hands in front of him in what was meant to be a placating gesture. "You need to let us explain."

"Alright," Steve ground out. "Explain. I'm listening." He did not for one second slacken his hold on Agent Romanoff.

"I think-" Clint's eyes shifted between everyone in the room. "- that we should go to HeadQuarters and talk to Fury. Just you, Hawkins, and me."

Natasha made a sound of disbelief, but Clint shot her a look that left no room for questioning. Abigail was irritated that she still hadn't gotten to say her piece, but she was overcome by a wave of tiredness. She angry, but now it burned deep and low in her chest instead of blazing in her belly.

Steve became thoughtful for several long moments. Finally, he conceded. "Fine," he told Clint. "We'll go now." He turned to Thor and Tony. "Keep an eye on Widow while we're gone," he instructed. Natasha looked indignant at the very notion. Steve finally released her and walked towards the exit. Clint and Abigail followed, the latter much more hesitantly.

As the trio walked down the hallway towards an elevator, Abigail made sure to stay close to Steve. She was scared, she would admit it. She kept looking over her shoulder, afraid that Agent Romanoff might have followed them. Steve was her safety now.

. . .

**AN****: I couldn't help myself; I felt the need to end the chapter there. Don't fret. In the nest chapter you will FINALLY get the story on what's going on.**

**P.S. I love Steve, if you couldn't tell.**

**PLEASE, please Review, all you wonderful people out there.**

**-ForTheLoveOfSeto**


	12. Chapter 12 Let's Shed Some Light

**Disclaimer****: I do not own the Marvel Universe or anything therein. I do not own the Avengers. I am not claiming to own any part of the Marvel Universe or anything therein. I am not claiming to own the Avengers. **

**The following is a work of fiction spun from my own mind. I claim rights to any and all original characters that I create for/ use in the following story (if I actually even have such rights). I make no monetary profit from the following work. My only reward will probably be my own fangirl-y joy.**

**. . .**

Agent Barton had offered to drive, which was a good thing considering that Hawkins was way too shaken up to do so and Captain Rogers didn't seem to want to leave her side at the moment.

It was an uncomfortable ride to S.H.I.E.L.D, with Clint driving and Abigail and Steve sitting in the back seat, all sitting in total silence. When the trio finally arrived at their destination Agent Coulson greeted them.

"Agent Romanoff sent an alert that you were coming," he explained to the surprised three. "The Director is waiting in the Conference Room."

Agent Barton nodded his thanks and strode down one of S.H.I.E.L.D's many long corridors. Steve and Abigail were quick to follow suit. It was a rather unsettling sight, seeing the three of them making their way down into the bowels of S.H.I.E.L.D. A stone-faced Barton was never good for anybody; Steve, so normally good-natured Steve, looked as if he were heading into war, a grimace on his lips; and, well, the S.H.I.E.L.D agents remembered Miss Hawkins from her last visit to HeadQuarters. The three of them combined were enough to clear the halls in a matter of seconds.

That poor sonofabitch Fury…

. . .

"Afternoon, Captain, Barton-" A slight pause and narrowing of eye. "-Miss Hawkins."

After receiving no response from the group, other than the venomous look he received from Hawkins, Fury continued on. "Alright, we all know why we're here." He sat down at the head of the conference table. "Let's get this over with."

"'Let's get this over with?'" Steve repeated tensely. "This is a very serious matter, Director."

"Yes, it is, Captain Rogers," the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D agreed. He turned to look at Hawkins, who stood at Steve's left. "Hawkins, you have violated your contract with this organization."

Abigail pursed her lips and crossed her arms over her chest. "Contract… terms of bondage, whatever you want to call it, I guess," she said off-handedly.

"You gave your consent when you signed those papers," Fury stated, already visibly irritated by the woman's impudence.

"After a stint of _unlawful imprisonment_." Abigail stressed the words. "And threats. Let's not forget the threats."

"Will both of you please shut up?" All turned to look at Barton. The archer was leaning against the table and had his arms crossed over his chest. His expression was unamused. "Rogers doesn't know what either of you are talking about." It was true- Steve was very confused.

"If Fury would just shut up-"

"It's not Rogers's business-"

Barton held up a hand. "I don't want to hear it! Listen, the way I see it, the only way we're going to make any progress is by explaining to Steve what happened. Since neither of you seem fit to impartially explain the situation, I will act as a neutral third party."

"You can't be neutral," Abigail argued. "You work for S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Listen," Clint told her. "I'll explain what's going on to Steve, and you can interrupt me at any point if I'm being biased. Fair?"

Abigail regarded him with suspicion but, seeing no other reasonable avenue, gave a slight nod to the archer. "Fair."

. . .

"Thirty-one days ago, a squad of S.H.I.E.L.D agents was directed to retrieve Miss Hawkins from her residence it Little Compton, Rhode Island-"

"Abduct," corrected Abigail.

"Escort," said Fury.

Clint ignored both of them. "When the agents arrived, they found Hawkins less than enthusiastic about returning to headquarters with them. The agents _might_ have threatened to arrest both her and her butler if she did not cooperate."

"Threat Number One," said Abigail.

"Miss Hawkins eventually relented and left with the agents willingly. She did not use her 'abilities' in attempt to get the agents to leave because she did not want any unnecessary injuries.

Once Hawkins was brought to Headquarters, Director Fury proposed to her that she might make a good addition to the Avengers Initiative. Hawkins told him that she did not agree."

"I was very clear about that," Hawkins interjected.

"A mild sedative was administered to Miss Hawkins-"

"-via tranquilizer dart."

"Hawkins was transported to a more secure area," Clint continued. "She stayed in a room-"

"Cell."

"-constructed completely out of material that she could not manipulate. The Director spoke to her several more times about joining the Avengers. Each time she refused."

Steve's brow was now deeply furrowed. "How did he get her to finally agree?" the super-soldier asked, not really sure he wanted to know.

Abigail took over. "He threatened to freeze my assets, keep me imprisoned, or a combination of the two." She looked directly at Steve. "If S.H.I.E.L.D froze my bank accounts, I wouldn't be able to take care of myself. An artificial interior is rather costly to maintain. I'd die if I couldn't make routine adjustments."

She gave her words time to sink in.

Steve's face turned from surprised, to horrified, to angry all in a matter of seconds. In what seemed to be even less time, he had Fury pinned up against the wall on the opposite side of the room. "WHAT THE HELL, FURY?!"

The man appeared unfazed by the super-soldier's outburst. Abigail gazed on the scene, shocked. Barton prepared himself to get involved, if necessary.

"It's for the best, Rogers," Fury told him, not backing down. "It is my job to protect and, if necessary, contain people like her." His one good eye narrowed as he continued, "People like you. Hawkins has a place in this world, and she needs to accept it."

"Let him go, Steve," Abigail said, coming back to herself. "It won't do any good."

"Rogers," Clint said with a warning tone, urging him to follow Hawkins's directive.

Slowly, almost imperceptibly, Rogers's demeanor changed and he released the Director.

"We can leave now," Abigail said.

. . .

**AN: I don't know if anyone out there really cares, but I apologize for the long time between last chapter and this one. For some reason, this site is giving me updating issues...  
**

**Remember: I LOVE REVIEWS! :D**

**Sincerely,**

**ForTheLoveOfSeto**


	13. Chapter 13 Just That Good

**Disclaimer****: I do not own the Marvel Universe or anything therein. I do not own the Avengers. I am not claiming to own any part of the Marvel Universe or anything therein. I am not claiming to own the Avengers. **

**The following is a work of fiction spun from my own mind. I claim rights to any and all original characters that I create for/ use in the following story (if I actually even have such rights). I make no monetary profit from the following work. My only reward will probably be my own fangirl-y joy.**

**. . .**

Agent Barton caught word that Natasha would be returning to Headquarters shortly. The three of them were going to discuss the future monitoring of Abigail Hawkins. Meanwhile, Agent Coulson offered to drive Steve and Abigail back to Stark Tower.

At first, Steve said nothing to the man in the driver's seat. His eyes kept darting between the rearview mirror to look at Hawkins and Coulson. Finally, after a painful stretch of silence, he asked, "Did you know about this?"

Coulson kept his eyes fixed firmly on the road. "Yes," he said, his tone neutral.

"So you're okay with the fact that S.H.I.E.L.D kidnapped, threatened, and imprisoned and innocent woman?" Steve asked, irritable and accusing.

Agent Coulson sighed. "I don't decide what we do at S.H.I.E.L.D. I just follow orders."

Silence fell again amongst the three passengers.

. . .

"So, Spangles, how'd it go?" Tony asked as Captain Rogers and Miss Hawkins walked into the lounge. Steve went and sat down on the couch and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"That good, huh?" Stark mused, mulling amber alcohol around in his glass.

Abigail turned to the billionaire with a sardonic expression. "Yeah, that good," she remarked. She sat down at the bar and Tony offered her an empty glass in silent question. She nodded gratefully and Tony started to pour amber liquid into the glass.

"Tony, I hate to ask this, but would it be too much trouble if I stayed here tonight?" Steve asked, rubbing the back of his head bashfully. And truly he did hate to ask; he did not wish to be indebted to Stark in any way

"Sure thing, Capsicle," Stark replied after gulping down a hearty swallow of alcohol. "You know I've got a room for everyone here and I've already showed you yours, so feel free to turn in whenever."

"Thank-you, Tony," Steve said, standing up and heading towards the elevator. He stopped and turned to Hawkins. He asked her. "Are you going to retire for the night or-?"

She gave him a wan smile. "I think I'll finish my drink with Stark first," she told him, raising her glass. "Goodnight, Captain."

"Goodnight Miss Hawkins. Tony," he nodded to them and a minute later he was gone.

"Sooo… What happened?" Tony turned to Abigail expectantly.

She looked at her glass and then turned to him with a small smirk on her lips. "You really don't waste any time, do you?" she asked tiredly.

"Nope," Tony answered jovially. "Now, c'mon. Give me the details."

Abigail made a face. "You sound like a teenage girl," she remarked, but recounted the story nonetheless. When she was finished, she sighed.

"Wow. Spangles really lost his cool," Tony commented. "And here I thought he was all 'Yes, Sir'/'No/Sir' stick-to-the-line soldier boy."

Hawkins made a non-committal noise.

"Oh, and I'm really sorry about the whole 'Being kidnapped and threatened' thing," Stark added as an afterthought. He took a drink. "Are you sure there's nothing you can do?"

Abigail pursed her lips. "S.H.I.E.L.D. is a faceless agency that only loosely conforms to the government and can manage to cover up just about anything. Yes, I'm sure."

The two were silent for a long moment. Tony stared at the bar top, a contemplative look on his face. "Well then, I guess that there's only one thing to do now." Hawkins regarded him questioningly.

"We drink," Stark stated matter-of-factly. He raised his glass and Abigail clinked her glass against his.

"Amen to that."

**AN****: I apologize for the long hiatus. Classes consume a great deal of my time and energy. To those who support me: I really appreciate it and thank you for your patience.**

**Reviews and Constructive Criticism are Welcome!**

**-ForTheLoveOfSeto**


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